Category: Oscar Nominee

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The Sand Pebbles (1966)

War films are generally not my thing, often overly long and filled with misguided notions. This film, about US naval patrols on the Yangtse River, was both of those things, but still held my interest through most of its three hour runtime. Steve McQueen and Candace Bergen brought their typical flair to their roles, though their romance felt forced. Richard Attenborough was incredibly sympathetic though a bit simple-minded as Frenchy, have a hard time getting used to him looking much younger than Dr. Hammond. I had a hard time figuring out the actual attitudes the film was conveying with regards to the Asian cast. Maybe it was trying to be accurate of the time frame of the setting, but at times, the film portrayed them as hard-working, moral, and quick learning while the white cast treated them and interacted with them in appallingly racist ways.  Best Picture Nomination  War

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture; Best Actor in a Leading Role; Best Actor in a Supporting Role; Best Cinematography, Color; Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color; Best Sound; Best Film Editing; Best Music, Original Music Score

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Cabin in the Sky (1943)

I really dug this one. I do have a soft spot for older films with all Black casts partially because there are so few of them. I also enjoy Faustian tales, though I really feel for the long-suffering spouses in such tales, played with particular dedication by Ethel Waters in this iteration. My favorite part may be the depictions of Lucifer and his minions. They seem to take special joy in their roles here.  Musical

Oscar Nomination: Best Music, Original Song

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The Jazz Singer (1927)

Neil Diamond’s The Jazz Singer isn’t a great movie, but Neil does give it his all and the soundtrack is great. This version of The Jazz Singer has neither of those bonuses. Ostensibly considered the first sound picture, it doesn’t even have much actual synchronized sound other than a couple of songs and lines of dialogue. What it does have is black face, over emoting, and Al Jolson’s ‘singing’. I find the general story appealing, the internal conflict between following tradition or following your heart. I’ll just have to search for a better version.

Oscar Nomination: Best Writing, Adaptation

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King: A Filmed Record… Montgomery to Memphis (1970)

To see a plethora of actual footage from MLK Jr’s life, this film is worth the watch. It doesn’t offer much new if you are well versed in his life, his mission, and the times he lived, but hearing his words in his own voice is powerful. The celebrity interstitials are sometimes a bit jarring and pulling from the flow of the narrative, but it is nice to see many famous faces join in the cause.

Oscar Nomination: Best Documentary, Features

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Broken Arrow (1950)

The number of Westerns I subject myself to as an Oscar completionist and a James Stewart fan is numerous. Luckily this one is covered by both of those umbrellas. Despite the grievances of many a child of the 1950s who would prefer a simplistic good guys-bad guys narrative, I have a soft spot for those Westerns that make some attempts toward nuance in their portrayals of Native Americans. Aside from that, this film following Stewart’s attempts at brokering a peace deal between Cochise and the Army, after saving an Apache boy and finding sympathy for the ways of the Apache, is mostly forgettable.

Oscar Nominations: Best Actor in a Supporting Role; Best Writing, Screenplay; Best Cinematography, Color

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Libeled Lady (1936)

I want to like Jean Harlow in films, but I have yet to find her in a role I’ve liked. William Powell, on the other hand, is generally a delight and he is particularly in this film as the friend who is enticed by a newspaper editor to both marry the editor’s fiancée and woo a socialite in order to prevent the socialite from suing the editor’s newspaper for libel. Myrna Loy is charming and beautiful as the socialite; she and Powell have great chemistry as usual. The plot is a convoluted screwball comedy, but that’s secondary to seeing those two stars together.   Best Picture Nomination

Oscar Nomination: Best Picture

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The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938)

Having watched the 1973 Tom Sawyer less than two months ago, it is difficult not to compare the two films. Tommy Kelly does an excellent job in the title role. The supporting cast is strong with the likes of Walter Brennan, Margaret Hamilton, May Robson, and Donald Meeks. The production is very colorful and lavish. Yet I still preferred the later version. This one seems to be missing some of the fun and joy that I’d expect from a family-friendly film.

Oscar Nomination: Best Art Direction

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Pinocchio (2019)

The story of Pinocchio is a a bit sad and creepy, a lonely old men using his skills to create a companion child. Why there are two new versions being released in as many years is beyond me. This adaptation, while dark, is a rather engaging one. Roberto Benigni brings a long-suffering, haggardness to his take on Geppetto. The effects to create a world with self-moving wooden puppets, fairies, and assorted magic is fanciful and impressive.

Oscar nominations: Best Achievement in Costume Design; Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling

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Come Blow Your Horn (1963)

Frank Sinatra always looked like an old man to me. It does not help when in films like this he’s portrayed as a hip bachelor when he’s edging close to 50. To be fair, he does have a groovy bachelor pad, so it’s no wonder that his younger brother, played by Tony Bill, wants to emulate his life. Their parents, played by Lee J Cobb and Mary Picon, try to intervene and set both brothers on the straight and right. Throw in some beautiful women to woo and that’s all there is to this film.

Oscar Nomination: Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color

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My Architect (2003)

Directed by Louis Kahn’s son Nathaniel, this film is essentially two separate stories. The first is a tour of the architect’s works, which is intriguing in its own right for this rather light fan of architecture . The second is the director’s attempt to come to terms with his father’s personal life and general absenteeism as a parent. Filled with interviews with an array of renowned architects and acquaintances of Kahn, the film is weaker for trying to meld these two disparate bits together, but for me was still worth it to be exposed to Kahn’s work.

Oscar Nomination: Best Documentary, Features

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